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Professor Richard Fawcett, a renowned expert in Scottish medieval church architecture, passed away on October 31, 2023. Throughout his life, Richard had a deep passion for architecture and a keen eye for detail. He dedicated his career to the study and preservation of historic buildings, working for organizations such as Historic Scotland and the University of St Andrews. Richard's contributions include his magnum opus, "The Architecture of the Scottish Medieval Church, 1100–1560," and his work on the Corpus of Scottish Medieval Parish Churches. He will be remembered for his knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication to his field. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on providing evidence for the date of John Mirk's sermon on St Alkmund, a martyr, and briefly discusses its implications for knowledge of St Alkmund's liturgical cult. Topics include the historical context of St Alkmund's cult, discrepancies in dates related to his martyrdom, and the significance of identifying the date of Mirk's sermon for understanding Middle English sermon cycles.

"Visible English: Graphic Culture, Scribal Practice, and Identity, c. 700--c. 1550" by Wendy Scase is a comprehensive book that explores the relationship between readable English and Latin-language pedagogy. The author argues that the ability to make English visible and readable often relied on a grasp of basic Latin grammar. This challenges the assumption that literacy in English was common in the late Middle Ages and suggests that Middle English is more difficult to handle than previously thought. The book also examines the role of graphic culture and identity formation in relation to visible language. While the concept of identity is not fully resolved, the author associates it with the idea of communities of practice. The book analyzes various types of evidence, including inscriptions, schoolbooks, and copies of texts, to support its arguments. Overall, "Visible English" is recommended for those interested in learning and being provoked by the topic. [Extracted from the article]

Marlene Villalobos Hennessy's volume, "An Index of Images in English & Scottish Manuscripts from the Time of Chaucer to Henry VIII," focuses on the National Library of Scotland's collection of manuscripts. The volume provides valuable information for art historians, as well as those studying script, page design, and textual materialism. Hennessy's extensive research and expertise in Scottish late medieval books make this volume comprehensive and accurate. The volume is part of a larger project called "An Index of Images in English Manuscripts from the Time of Chaucer to Henry VIII," which aims to produce a comprehensive printed list of images in medieval books. The Index challenges assumptions about the primacy of writing and text, and includes a range of material from various manuscripts. While the volume's chronology is not entirely clear, it covers the period from approximately 1380 to 1509. The inclusion of Scottish manuscripts, including those written in Scottish Gaelic, expands the scope of the Index. Overall, this volume is a valuable resource for the study of Scottish medieval book culture and compensates for the lack of comprehensive cataloguing at the National Library of Scotland. [Extracted from the article]